Spectrophobia | Fear of Specters or Ghosts

(spek-tro-fo-be-ah)

What is Spectrophobia?

Spectrophobia, also known as Pneumatiphobia or Phasmophobia, is the intense and irrational fear of ghosts. This phobia, which is classified as a specific or “isolated” phobia, is related to or interchangeably referred to as a number of other phobias including Semonophobia (fear of demons), Vogyphobia (fear of the bogeyman), Satanophobia (fear of Satan, satanic control, or devils), Hadephobia, Stygiophobia and Stigiophobia (which all mean fear of Hell), and Wiccaphobia (fear of witches or witchcraft).

Spectrophobia is also linked to fears about night and darkness, and in extreme cases phobics will sleep with the lights on.

The root word 'spectrum' is Latin meaning 'spectre' or 'image of a thing' and the word 'phobia' comes from the Greek word ‘phóbos’ meaning 'fear.'

Causes of Spectrophobia

Spectrophobia is a specific (or “isolated”) phobia, centered on non-social key factors. Isolated phobias tend to have some previous trauma (often in childhood and often physically injurious) as a root cause; a fear of bees may stem from an injury in childhood, for instance.

Upbringing can also play a role, such as parental warnings about a direct threat (such as “snakes can bite and kill you”) which is especially notable in cases where a threat is more imminent. (An allergy to bees or peanut butter, for instance, would naturally reinforce a real medical concern.)

It is thought that genetics and hereditary factors may play a role in specific phobias, especially those related to a danger of injury. (A primal “fight or flight” reflex may be more easily triggered in those with a genetic predisposition, for instance.)

By contrast, social phobias (like a fear of body odor or touch) are less well-understood, are driven by social anxiety, and are broadly labeled as “social anxiety disorder”.

In all kinds of phobias, external experiences and / or reports can further reinforce or develop the fear, such as seeing a family member or friend who is affected. In extreme cases, indirect exposures can be as remote as overhearing a reference in conversation, seeing something in the news, on TV, or in the movies.

Spectrophobia, like most phobias, stems from a subconscious overprotection mechanism, and as with many phobias can also be rooted in an unresolved emotional conflict.

Many researchers believe that Spectrophobia is an extended fear of our own death or the unknown.

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